Having no communication with my five roommates prior to my arrival on campus, I was really nervous and hoping that it would all work out. Most of my roommates turned out to be zoo science majors. Although my major is art and design, we still have some classes together like Interpersonal Relations and Freshman Seminar. My roommates really welcomed me to campus and America. One of my pictures shows us in the living area of our suite. We had just returned from shopping at a Halloween costume shop. We do not celebrate Halloween back home, so I’m trying to figure out what my costume should be. Any great ideas out there?????? 

The first girl that I met on campus is pictured with her and her family (I’m on the far left and Melinda is next to me, hugging her mom). When I saw Melinda, I assumed that she could be from Kenya. I found out that her parents are from Kenya but she has been brought up in America since she was young. She is from Houston, Texas. Melinda plays on the Friends University soccer team. I have watched the majority of her games and although the fields that she plays on are much better then in Kenya, soccer in America is like soccer back home.  

I think I told you last time that I needed to wrap up my journal so I could make it to work. I got a job in the Admissions Office at the University. This is my first job, ever! I did not really understand how I was going to get paid and was really worried because I had my phone bill come due and the same day I mentioned my soon to be due phone bill, I realized I had a pay check waiting for me to pick up! What a huge relief.  I spend every afternoon at work. My class schedule allows me to work about 18 hours a week.

One dollar is compared to 70 shillings, which is the currency in Kenya. When I told my parents what I was making per hour, they were flabbergasted because they thought it was A LOT of money for a student. Students do not work back home. I quickly realized that I had to inform my parents how expensive the United States is, and that I would still be calling them for some donations to my cause. 

Next time I’ll tell you about the movie I just went to see “Why Did I get Married?”  

Basi hodi habari nyingine zinzokuja badaye! (wait for my other interesting stories that are coming!)  

I promised that I would write back and tell you more about myself and my experiences at Friends University. 

I’ve had a very busy couple of weeks.  One of the things I did was participate in Homecoming activities.  The theme of this year’s Homecoming was Greek Games.  Our mascot is Freddy, and he was dressed up in toga-style at the best dressed contest.  The most exciting part was that Freddy won the best-dressed, non-human award!  There were a lot of athletic activities with one of the highlights being the football game.  We WON!!!!  The king and queen were crowned and all in all it was a great week!

As you can see, I am pictured with my Kenyan flag.  The flag has three colors, red, green and black.  The colors of the flag have meanings.  Green means ground, red represents the blood that was shed to gain freedom, black represents the people of Africa.  The shield and spear show how we fought for freedom.  Although we say the flag has three colors, there is also white which represents peace. 

America has much better cars and better roads.  It is a rare thing to see a Hummer going down the streets in Kenya.  The driver of our cars back home is where the passengers sit in America.  Our cars are mostly manual.  Although I don’t have a car right now, I have a lot of friends who take me to great places!  One example is the Old Towne area which is in downtown Wichita.  It is really close to campus and has a lot of different activities to do and great places to eat!  OK. I’m laughing about the eating part because I really miss my country's food, like chapati, which is a dough somewhat like pizza dough in America.  I also miss githeri, which is maize (corn) and beans.  Githeri came from the Kikuyu tribe, which is one of the tribes where I come from.  There are 42 tribes in Kenya and we each speak different languages.  My mom is from Kikuyu and my dad is from Embu.   

I gave you some great information about Kenya that I hope you learn from.  I need to get to work, so I will sign off for now.  I’ll catch you up on my life soon!

Nitakuongelesha siku hiyo nyingine!  Kwaheri. (I will talk to you next time I write. Bye!)

“Jambo” means “hi” in Swahili. I am from Kenya, which is in Africa.

My name is Ann Mugo, but you can call me Annie as most Americans do. I am a freshman at Friends University, and my goal with this journal is to inform you all of my interesting experiences. I will start by telling you about my self.  As I told you already, I am a proud Kenyan. It takes about 24 hours to come to America from Kenya. I came one month ago, and I think I am adjusting pretty well. I love art, dancing, going out and music. My major is graphic design. I have started my classes, which are pretty awesome. I also have a part-time job, which is fantastic.

I love Friends University. It’s one of the blessings God has given me. Moving into the dorms was the most amazing thing from the time I arrived in America. This is because the University dorms are like hotels that are very well facilitated, and the resident assistants are doing a good job welcoming students, as you can see from the welcome note they put up for five roommates and me outside our door.  

OK! So I moved in, and we started the orientation week. I think Friends University did a good job with that. There were tons of activities that helped me get to know other students. I had a lot of fun at some of the athletic events like the soccer and football games. Freddy is our mascot and cheers on the Falcons! 

The dinner bell is ringing so I’m off to grab some great food in our new dining facility – I’ll show a picture next time! Many more things to tell you about like my roommates, my classes, etc … stay tuned for more!